Round Manaslu Trek

Namaste! And welcome to Kathmandu, the colourful capital of Nepal where ornately carved balconies mingle with beautiful shrines and temples. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting on arrival at the exit gate of Kathmandu airport. Our staff will welcome you with palmplate and pick you to your accommodated hotel and rest of the day you can relax at the hotel or short evening walk around local market on your own as per your wish.

A well-deserved rest day at cozy of hotel after a long tiring flight. This day, one can move around nearby local market to purchase or hire trekking equipment that is necessary for the trekking like sleeping bags, walking sticks etc, exchange currency as requirement or simply walk around in the local market or Kathmandu Durbar squire nearby with small entrance fee as per your preference on your own. Evening at the hotel lobby there will be pre-trip briefing in which you will be introduced with your trekking guide and explained about your trip in short, instruction for safety etc.

An early start this morning for the long drive to Maccha Khola in a 4WD jeep. We stop for lunch at Arughat Bazaar. After lunch the road becomes quite rough, however the route is very beautiful: very green, passing alongside rivers and hills. We continue to the starting point of our trek at Maccha Khola, where we stay overnight.

Our trek today takes us over a couple of ridges until we reach Tatopani (‘hot water’) where there is hot waterspouts under the sheer cliffs. The rice fields are slowly making way for fields of millet and buckwheat. After Tatopani we cross the bridge to the east bank of the river and continue our way to the Gurung village of Jagat. The Manaslu Conservation area begins here, and we will need to present our trekking permits.

Trekking today involves a relatively short walk from Jagat to Philim. Here we stop for lunch and remain overnight. On the way we catch a tantalizing view of the Shringi Himal [7175m] to the north, close to the border with Tibet. After lunch there will be time to explore the upper part of the Gurung village. The gompa is about half an hour's walk and 150m above the village. Philim is also the location of the Government-run regional health hub, which services both the Nubri and Tsum Valleys.

We are slowly but surely entering Buddhist territory. In the coming days, manimuren and kanis (entrance gates), prayer flags and prayer wheels will be part of the landscape. The day starts with a gradual rise, but during the day the number of rises and falls will increase. Partly through beautiful primeval forest with the thunder of the fast-flowing river below us and then again over open areas where the wind, which often comes from the north, can be quite fresh. At the village of Chumjet we pass the Chumling Khola. This river comes from the west and along this is the trail that goes to the Rupina La. A little further on we climb another 150 meters to the village of Bihi. where we spend the night in the lodge.

Initially the trail rises gradually but after lunch the terrain becomes steeper, and we must deal with landslides, wet areas and slippery stones. The direction of travel is now west; the Tibetan border is less than 10 km north as the crow flies. The landscape keeps changing and becoming more barren. We have many ascents and descents. We always have beautiful views over the fields and pass many mani walls and stupas - or chortens as they are called in Tibetan. We pass the gompa of Lihi and continue ascending until we pass through the stone gate of Sho village. We walk onto Lho, a beautifully situated village with walled fields that are golden yellow with ripe grain in the autumn. In the east we have a view of the peaks of Ganesh Himal and in the north the glaciers on the mountains that mark the border with Tibet.

Today another short walking day, so we don't have lunch on the way but in the large and beautiful village of Samagaon, where we will spend 2 nights. First, we go a long way down to the river. We follow it until we arrive in Syaula. It is a fairly new village, and it is populated by Tibetan refugees who still come to Samdo via the former trade route via the Lajyung Bhanjyang and the valley of the Sanam Khola. Then it is about a 1½ hour walk to Samagaon. The route crosses a large plain, and the village is in a kind of bowl. Running time +/- 3½ hours.

Today there are many possibilities. Maybe we can have a Puja (prayer service) held in the gompa of the monastery. Have a good rest and wash some clothes, walk through the village and see how the Tibetan villagers live and work. A walk to the Birendra Tal (Lake) or a stretch towards Manaslu BC or a longer walks to Pung Gyen Gompa are also possible. The Gompa is located at about 3900 meters on one of the slopes along the Numla Khola. Of course, you can also just relax and / or read if you feel like it.

We gradually go up through the forest. Later the lake opens up, and a cold wind can pick up. Some warm clothes in your backpack is recommended. We follow the Budhi Gandaki in a north westerly direction to the last inhabited village before the pass. We walk through yak meadows with dozens of meters long mani walls. The height is noticeable and there are still a few steep climbs in the last part. We have lunch in Samdo and afterwards the enthusiasts can make a trip to a 200-meter higher peak to enjoy the view.

Today we walk to the last overnight place before we cross the pass. We take it easy because today we climb about 800 meters and tomorrow a tough day awaits us when we cross the pass. On the south side of the trail, we have a view of the North Peak and the Larkya Peak of the Manaslu massif and on the north side the barren, rugged stone desert that lies between us and the Tibetan plateau. This will be the coldest night on this trip and most likely the shortest. 

Now the time has come for the long crossing over the Larkya La Pass to Bhimtang. We rise very early around 4 am and leave in the dark. Most of the pass is snowy and that can make the long steep descent especially difficult and time consuming. The approach to the pass is gradual and hopefully it will be a clear sunny day so that we can enjoy the impressive landscape as soon as it is light. In the subsequent descent we go up again slightly to a second pass. Then our route descends for a long time and quite steeply, but we occasionally take the time to enjoy the phenomenal view. We walk along the moraine wall to the large lawn with some houses. The duration can vary greatly on this day and is very dependent on the terrain. Now, we are in Annapurna Region. This is quite challenging day.

We continue the journey down through beautiful forests with a great view of the peaks of the Manaslu behind us we walk quietly along the river to Karche. This is just past the Surki Khola, a river that comes from the northwest and flows into the Dudh Khola. We walk along the Dudh Khola further down to the south. First a nasty climb over the Kharche Pass but then mainly down along moraines, yak meadows, white beaches and stones along the river that swirls down and lives up to the name Dudh (milk). We also see beautiful pieces of forest with beard mosses. It's wonderful to have green around us again after the wild beauty of rocks, snow and ice. On the way we keep a view of the majestic mountains around us. Then it is only a few hours to the large village of Tilje, where we will spend the night. In the evening Celebration with the Nepalese staff on successful completion of the trek and you need to distribute tips to the Guide and Porters.

After breakfast, we board the 4WD for the drive to Besisahar. From Besisahar we drive by Hiace. At Dumre, we reach the road that runs from Pokhara to Kathmandu. On the way there we will have lunch in Muglin. The ride will take 6 to 8 hours depending on traffic. The road passing over into the Kathmandu valley can sometimes cause delays. The rest of the day is free to shower and rest after our trek and to explore the wonderful city of Kathmandu.

There is time today to shop for crafts or explore the city. Kathmandu is a great place to buy presents!

We say 'Namaste' for memories that will last a lifetime. There are no activities planned for today and you can depart the hotel at any time. Check out time from the hotel is at 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel. For your final departure, our staff will pick you up from the hotel and transfer to Kathmandu airport approximately 3 hours prior to your international flight time.